{"id":42555,"date":"2025-03-31T15:40:30","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T19:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalwellnessinstitute.org\/?p=42555"},"modified":"2025-12-19T12:39:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T17:39:51","slug":"dying-well-initiative-trends-for-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalwellnessinstitute.org\/global-wellness-institute-blog\/2025\/03\/31\/dying-well-initiative-trends-for-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Dying Well Initiative Trends for 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Dying Well <\/strong>Initiative<\/h1>\n

2025 Trends<\/h2>\n

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A global shift is reshaping end-of-life care, with five emerging trends leading the way. Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) is expanding rapidly, with pending legislation across the U<\/span>S<\/span> and increasing public support in the UK and Latin America. End<\/span> of<\/span> life doulas are on the rise worldwide, <\/span>provid<\/span>ing non-medical support rooted in tradition and community. Psychedelic-assisted therapies are gaining traction for their <\/span>potential<\/span> to ease emotional and existential distress near death. Grief group rituals and retreats are re-emerging, blending cultural wisdom with modern mental health awareness to create communal healing spaces. Finally, in-community deathcare programs are flourishing\u2014offering local, grassroots solutions to support the dying and their loved ones. Together, these trends reflect a growing desire to reclaim death as a meaningful, supported, and shared human experience<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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TREND 1: Medical Aid in Dying (MAID)<\/h3>\n

The operational definition of MAID is when an individual deemed competent, assisted and authorized by a physician, takes a lethal dose of medication to end their life. Other terms used interchangeably include Voluntary-Assisted Dying (VAD), death with dignity, and physician-assisted suicide.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Several countries around the world have legalized some form of MAID, with not all requiring a prognosis of imminent death. In the United States, Oregon was the first state to legalize MAID in 1994, and since then, nine more states plus Washington, DC, have followed suit. However, in 2024, there are 19 states with pending legislation, a clear signal that people are demanding to reclaim control over their lives and deaths. To underscore this, Compassion and Choices, one of the leading advocates for MAID in the US, projects that by 2028, 50% of Americans will reside in states with MAID laws, up from approximately 21% as reported by the American Geriatric Society.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although many European countries have legalized various forms of MAID, as of early 2024, Britain had not, but the times appear to be changing. An article published in March 2024 reports a surge in UK citizens joining Dignitas, the Swiss assisted dying association. Furthermore, recent polls indicate that 70% of UK citizens support MAID, and Scotland has pending legislation this year to legalize it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Latin America, too, has only recently begun to look at MAID reform. In 2022, Colombia was the first country to decriminalize MAID with Ecuador becoming the second in February 2024.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Resources<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n